Skip to Content
The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment

In-Kind Match Guide

This page is designed to help new and existing partners understand, document, and report in-kind match contributions required for Texas Stream Team projects.

By using this guide, Texas Stream Team partners can confidently track, document, and report in-kind match contributions—helping ensure ongoing program funding, recognition, and success.

What is in-kind match?

In-kind match is the non-federal share of support—such as volunteer time, donated goods, and services—that partners contribute to help meet grant requirements and enhance program impact. These contributions are essential components of Texas Stream Team’s statewide efforts to monitor and protect Texas waterways.

Why is match important?

Federal grants, such as those from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, require Texas Stream Team to provide a 40% match for every dollar spent from federal funds. Documenting and reporting match ensures that state, local, and private partners share the cost of federal programs, and promote program sustainability after federal funding concludes.

In-kind match is also a valuable tool for measuring and demonstrating program impact. By tracking both cash and in-kind contributions over time, our program can assess the true reach and effectiveness of the program—not just for current or future grants, but as an ongoing metric of success.

What qualifies as a match?

Expand FAQ List

    • Volunteer time spent on Texas Stream Team activities (monitoring, training, outreach)
    • Staff time dedicated to project tasks
    • Donated supplies, equipment, or meeting space used for Texas Stream Team
    • Travel and mileage related to project work

    • Routine activities not directly related to Texas Stream Team
    • Federal employee time, federal resources, or activities already counted for another federal project 
    • Match contributions already reported for another federal grant project

What can be counted toward a match?

Expand FAQ List

    • Volunteer monitoring hours
    • Staff time spent on Texas Stream Team projects
    • Donated supplies/equipment
    • Mileage incurred for Texas Stream Team activities

    • Routine unrelated activities
    • Federal employee time/resources
    • Match used for other federal grants

Requesting In-Kind Match

If your organization needs additional in-kind match to fulfill contract or grant requirements, Texas Stream Team is ready to help! 

Please note the following:

  • All Texas Stream Team activities must fall under the program directly. Before including activities or match in your grant proposals or contracts, you must communicate with program staff and obtain a formal Letter of Commitment. This process ensures Texas Stream Team match is not double counted across multiple grants or partners, and that all records go through the parent organization.
  • Match support is contingent upon the presence of active Texas Stream Team activities in your region. If there are no current initiatives locally, there will not be match available to donate. However, you are encouraged to contact us to explore new Texas Stream Team activities in your community. Texas Stream Team staff are happy to discuss your needs and provide tailored match support as our resources allow.

Please use the following form to request match support from the Texas Stream Team program. This will help us summarize your activities and ensure your contract requirements are met. Texas Stream Team staff will review your request and contact you to coordinate activities and confirm match support.

We recommend that partners submit requests as early as possible, especially if your deadline is approaching. 

Reporting In-Kind Match

  1. Track Your Contributions
    1. Keep detailed records: timesheets for volunteer and staff time, receipts for supplies, mileage logs, and event sign-in sheets.
    2. Use the annual Value of Volunteer Time or actual pay rate (whichever is higher) for volunteer hours. The Independent Sector releases the newest volunteer rate each April.
  2. Complete the Partner Activity Report (PAR)
    1. Submit a PAR for each reporting period where you have match to report.
    2. Attach all supporting documentation (e.g., timesheets, invoices, mileage logs). Feel free to utilize our available time and mileage log as a template.
    3. If you have no match to report, you do not need to submit a blank PAR.

Your thorough reporting enables Texas Stream Team to sustain support for local partners and document the ongoing impact of community science across Texas.

Expand FAQ List

    • Only report contributions that directly support Texas Stream Team projects.
    • Do not report match used for other federally funded projects.
    • Records of partner contributions are paramount. Ensure all documentation is accurate, organized, and submitted on time. This allows Texas Stream Team to provide match support to partners or groups who need it to fulfill their own contract or grant requirements (see the Requesting Match section for details).
    • Contact Texas Stream Team staff if you have questions or need assistance with the process.

To maintain accurate records, Texas Stream Team will reach out to partners at the end of each quarter to request updates on local activities. Providing regular updates helps maintain accurate program records and ensures continued eligibility for match support. To ensure you receive reminders, please fill out our Partner Form. 

For any questions about requesting in-kind match, please contact us at TxStreamTeam@txstate.edu or 512.245.1346. We are here to support your success!